Would be better? The heroine or hero's? I guess it depends on the situation of the scene, but which POV would you rather read in??

Right now, my first sex scene is in my hero's POV. The second following is in my heroine's.

Whatcha y'all think?

Azraelsbane

10-13-2007, 02:42 AM

Write it from both povs, and pick the most compelling. That's my rule of thumb for any scene for which I'm having trouble choosing a pov. Think of it as a way to get better acquainted with your chars. :)

MargueriteMing

10-13-2007, 04:51 AM

well, I think that depends on what POV you are using for your story. If you have a consistent POV, then you certainly shouldn't change it for the sex scene.

gingerwoman

10-13-2007, 07:55 AM

See I find this thing of having to choose one or the other for a scene annoying. I like to write half the scene through one of their eyes do the *** thing and change to the other's point of view. They are both sexy to read.
Is that wrong?

Azraelsbane

10-13-2007, 07:59 AM

See I find this thing of having to choose one or the other for a scene annoying. I like to write half the scene through one of their eyes do the *** thing and change to the other's point of view. They are both sexy to read.
Is that wrong?

Nah, not at all. I actually cut a sex scene because of this problem. I really like getting into everyone's head, but omni is too far removed for me and doing it up close is considered head hopping and bad form. I ended up cutting a sex scene and having the female MC leading up to the act, then scene cut to the male MC after the fact. It actually worked better than the sex scene in the end. :D

ZannaPerry

10-13-2007, 08:52 AM

My problem is that I've already gone through who's POV is more important in the love scene...but all in my head. I never write it down. It comes across better in my head than any other form of writing. I get in my characters' head...which one would give more thoughts about the sex, who it would affect the most, etc...

small axe

10-13-2007, 10:36 AM

Well, if you use the guy's POV it'll be a faster read. :)

ZannaPerry

10-13-2007, 10:52 AM

Ha! Oh, so true small axe, but in this story anyway it will mean the most coming from him. Then the sex scene following will mean the most to my heroine because she will be the dominant one. :)

Gray Rose

10-13-2007, 01:01 PM

Sometimes I have a feeling that I've imagined a certain scene so vividly that I cannot write it down (erotic or no, does not matter). In such cases I have learned to work with an "anchoring phrase", which is a line of dialogue or a thought, etc - usually I have one of those in my head when I imagine the scene.

I start writing my scene from the anchoring phrase. Then after I reach the end I backtrack and write the beginning (by then I am completely unblocked about the scene).
Sometimes I discover the scene really begins with my anchor phrase, not at the beginning I have imagined.

Hope this helps!
Rose

Lady Cat

10-14-2007, 07:08 AM

I usually use both POV when my characters have sex. Makes it last longer ;)

You say that your first sex scene was from the man's POV and the second was from the woman's. Why not have it in the POV of whoever instigates it?

ZannaPerry

10-14-2007, 08:44 AM

I do have it that way. My hero starts it, my heroine finishes it. :D

takkunelwood

10-14-2007, 06:50 PM

The two works I have where sex plays an important factor, the stories are written rather omnisciently in the first place, so you get a little of both POVs during the sex.

gingerwoman

10-16-2007, 11:56 AM

I do her point of view *** his point of view or vice versa. Hope that is Ok for erotic romance.

Drasheny

10-16-2007, 10:42 PM

I do her point of view *** his point of view or vice versa. Hope that is Ok for erotic romance.

Do you do that just for sex scenes, or is that a technique you employ more generally? How often do you switch?

I always write in first person or third person limited, and my MC is almost always female. That's the way I approach the sex scenes also. Keeps everything nice and personal...and simple.

Giles English

10-21-2007, 12:59 AM

Would be better? The heroine or hero's? I guess it depends on the situation of the scene, but which POV would you rather read in??

Right now, my first sex scene is in my hero's POV. The second following is in my heroine's.

Whatcha y'all think?

Who's experiencing the most conflict in the scene?

veinglory

10-21-2007, 01:22 AM

If it is erotica (i.e. one handed reading may occur) I would suggest picking the POV of the person getting the most sensation and if in doubt choose the most common gender of your readers. Many readers find it easier to get aroused by descriptions of sensations relating to the equipment they possess. Not always, of course (I know that as an MM writer) but as a tendency.

WittyandorIronic

10-21-2007, 06:41 AM

I switch back and forth with scene changes at *ahem* obvious points if I need to have both, or go by who is most conflicted/effected/sensationed (woot, my very own new word) like everyone else said.

Kentuk

10-21-2007, 07:57 AM

The sheets.
Not again! Can't stand it! Will leave me a mess like last time.
Please, please no wet spot, no wet spot.
Please pretty please no stain, no stain
and please don't let her be a virgin.

oh sorry wrong forum...carry on

wyf

11-27-2007, 06:14 PM

I always write from the POV i know best - mine. I have written from a male prespective but I never seem to get it quite right, although i enjoy reading male POV stuff.

Maryn

11-27-2007, 06:22 PM

If I've shifted POV throughout the work (which I've done a few times), then I might also shift it during a sex scene, but I would never change POV only during a sex scene. If I needed to show the other person's POV, then maybe my whole novel or story is in the wrong POV, you know?

Of course, head-hopping is just plain wrong in any scene, not just a sex scene. If we need to know what's going on in the head of someone other than the POV character, it's my job as a writer to find a way to make that happen. Speech is good.

Maryn, big on dialogue, including during sex scenes

chroniclemaster1

11-28-2007, 08:16 AM

I think anything goes as long as you're clear and the reader can follow everything that's going on in the flow. But wow, I think that's nearly impossible to do jumping POV. Between chapters I'd say it's OK. If you have a situation where you need to see more than one point of view, TV writers have found a much more interesting way to do it. Tell the scene, then go back and tell it again from the other POV.

As long as you're not dragging it out over a very long time, then you can follow it. That's the weakest part of Return of the King, Tolkien tried to tell each group's story all the way up to the battle for Minas Tirith. It's too much time and you can't follow it. Though that's about the only thing I don't like about the book.

akiwiguy

11-30-2007, 09:42 AM

An aside, I did notice an interesting "POV don't do" within the submission guidelines for a magazine once... I'd need to dig up the source, but it was one of the higher profile, better paying mags, and the warning was they will not accept stories written from first person POV and a second-person "you" character. And I have seen warnings relating to non-acceptance of present tense.

In both cases, the context seemed to suggest that the reasoning may be that it smacks too much of "cyber chat". Note, these were within submission guidelines for specific publications, and I haven't the experience to know whether they are quite common restrictions.

Dustry Joe

12-23-2007, 11:47 PM

I always thought it would be interesting to see a sex scene told from the point of view of a condom.

Strongbear

01-01-2008, 06:13 AM

If you're a male writer but you have a female heroine (with her POV throughout), but it gets to a sex scene, won't it seem rather odd from your own POV as a straight male writer if you are imagining her in her shoes? I would think it would be rather difficult to really picture it from that side, and you might personally prefer to desribe how your female protagonist is like. But then if you switch POV to the male just for that scene, won't the sudden change seem somewhat forced or artificial?

What does one do?

Stacia Kane

01-01-2008, 06:20 AM

I'm a female writer and have no problem writing sex scenes from the man's POV. (That is what you're asking, right? Sorry, that huge video thing you have in your sig distracted me and hurt my eyes, so I can't be certain I understood your question completely.)

MargueriteMing

01-01-2008, 06:20 PM

If you're a male writer but you have a female heroine (with her POV throughout), but it gets to a sex scene, won't it seem rather odd from your own POV as a straight male writer if you are imagining her in her shoes? I would think it would be rather difficult to really picture it from that side, and you might personally prefer to desribe how your female protagonist is like. But then if you switch POV to the male just for that scene, won't the sudden change seem somewhat forced or artificial?

What does one do?

Presumably one is a writer, and does what writers do--make shit up.

scarletpeaches

01-01-2008, 06:23 PM

Write it from the point of view of the donkey.

BlueLucario

01-01-2008, 10:05 PM

The best point of view for an erotica scene is second person. Third person makes the whole thing boring.

Second Person brings the reader into the story and makes him a little "Happy"

ClaudiaGray

01-02-2008, 02:54 AM

The pillow's.

James D. Macdonald

01-02-2008, 08:04 PM

You are not the kind of guy who would be in some strange girl's bedroom at this time in the morning, but here you are, and you're looking at a blonde with really big knockers. Her name is either Sheryl or Stacie, but it would be too embarrassing to ask which, because of what you've been doing for the last hour, and besides her mouth is full. You are mildly surprised to learn that you can still feel embarrassment, especially after she brought out the "Jeff Stryker" brand realistic-molded toy and the tube of K-Y, and showed you what she wanted you to do with them, and you did those things. Maybe you could keep calling her "Doll" or "Darling" or "Babe" but you wonder if she'll see through that and ask you what her name is. Then you wonder what she'll say if you ask her what your name is, even though you're sure you told her, back in the bar. Before she invited you home. Before Jeff Stryker and before the rabbit fur and before the video camera. All the wondering distracts you and she looks up and asks what's wrong and inspiration strikes. You say, "It's the beer; I have to take a leak," and you think that maybe you'll check for her driver's license in her purse on the way back from the bathroom.